Process for the dyeing and other treatment of textile fibers in the loose state



JOHN BRANDWOOD, THOMAS BRANDWOOD, AND JOSEPH BRANDWOOD PROCESS FOR THEOYEING AND OTHER TREATMENT OF TEXTILE FIBERS IN THE LOOSE STATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I4, I92!- 1 4L32,318 Patented Oct. 117, 1922.,

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A TTJ JOHN BRANDWOO-D, THOMAS BRANDWOOD, AND JOSEPH BRANDWOOD. PROCESSFOIT THE DYEING AND OTHER TREATMENT OF TEXTILE FIBERS IN THE LOOSESTATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I4. I92].

Patented (Pet. 17, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

VI I

I'l I JOHN BRANDWOOD, THOIVIAS BRANDWOOD, AND JOSE-PH BRANDWOOD. PROCESSFOR THE DYEING AND OTHER TREATMENT OF TEXTILE FIBERS IN THE LOOSE STATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14. I921.

Lk fi II 8 Patented 00t- 117;]1922 3 SIlEETS-'-SIIEEI 3.

-Pateimted oer, H7, 1922 I warren srhtmj m enan'nwoon, THOMAS nnnnnwoon,an]: aosisrn enannwoon, or ELTON, swam "mar na ENGLAND.

PROCESS FOR THE DYEING AND OTHER TREATMENT OF TEXTILE FIBERS IN THELOOSE STATE.

Application filed. may 14,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN BRANDWOOD, THOMAS BRANDWOOD, and JosnrrrBRAND- woon subjectsof the King of Great Britain and reland, andresidents of Elton, Bury, in the county of Lancaster, England, haveinvented certain Improvements in the Processes for the Dyeing and OtherTreatment of Textile Fibers in the Loose State, of which the followingis a specification.

In the methods at present commonly in use for the dyeing with liquidsofcotton and other fibrous textile materials inthe loose state, that is,before carding and spinning operatlons have commenced, the loosemamatted together,causing further deterioration in the subsequentseparation. The treatment of compressing .the material or rotatlng theloose material in the bath, be-

- sides resulting in deterioration'of the fiber as mentioned, alsoconsumes time and neces. sitates extra labour, thus lessening produc-'*tion and increasing costs. Further, it is difficult to guarantee thatin dyeing one batch of dyeing will be of the same shade as anotherbatch, and ,more important still, it is impracticable by the means atpresent In use to dye loose material satisfactorily with-' theoxidation, azo, or basic colours. 7

The object of our invention is a process,

of dyeing which will obviate the disadvantages enumerated above:

Tn carrying same into effect we takethe material after the cleaningoperation and in flat and compact form, say as it comes from the lapscutcher inthe form of laps, and pass it between two open meshed or openwoven conveyor belts, in severallaps thickmess, around perforatedcylinders or over the perforated tops of closed chambers situated i inthe dye bath and below the level "of the dye liquor in such a mannerthat the conthe feed 7 end of 1921.- Serial No. 469,728.

.veyors and'material borne thereby, passing as a single thick beltaround such perforated cylinders or over such perforated tippedchambers, make a liquid tight joint therewith, the dye liquor beingdrawn through such belt of material by means of pumps from the dye bathto the interior of the perforated cylinders or closed chambers andreturned to the dyebath, or drawn from the dyebath to the interior [ofthe perforated cylinders or 4 closed chamber and thence forced throughthe cylinder walls or closed chamber top and through the material backtothe dye bath. Or the dye liquor may be drawn and also forced throughthe material successively in the same apparatus. Similar meansmay beusedfor oxidizing where such operation is 'necessary, the dye pump inthis case being of course substituted by an air pump and the sameprocess may be applied to the final washing ed with washwater, the-wholeprocess from the feeding of the material into the dyebath to the finalstripping from the conveyor of the dyed and otherwise treated' materialbeing con-. tinuous. In order to ensure level dyeing .in such continuousprocess we may use, in connection therewith automatic means forsupplying measured quantities of dye liquor to the d eing apparatus,such supply being regulata le and ceasing when the passage of materialthrough the dyeing apparatus v ceases We will now fully describe aconvenient methodof carrying our process into efiect,

in'an apparatus arranged as a general purpose apparatus wherein materialmay be treated with sulphur colours, oxidation, azo orwbasic colours atwill, and in which apparatus the dyeing, any necessary oxidizing,

and the necessary washing ofi process may be 'eflected, as a contmu'ousoperation.

From such description the application of any treatment with liquor orair of fibrous material inthe loose state, this, previous to spinning,will be understood. The drawmgs are diagrammatic, and are not toanyparticular scale.

Fig. 1 (Sheets land 2) is a side elevation partlyin section of thecomplete apparatus, same being at the right hand side. .f

Fig; 2 is a plan of the apparatus as shown in Figure 1.

its

' 3 a cross sehtion .of Figure 1, i ig. .4 a the hue X of Figure 1,

Fig.- 5,-a cross section n' line Y-Z;of

ure 1,-.

v to a dye bath,

conveyors and keeping them; stretched transverselyi, Fig. 7 shows largerscale, I v V Fi 8, shows-the automatic means for supp ying dyestufi incalculated quantities a detail of o to a Fig. 9, shows a modification ofthe Fig: ure 5; and

Fig. 10, a portion of the' material prefer ably used for the conveyor.

In the drawings Figure 1 (two.- sheets) and Figure 2 (two sheets) 1 isan upper conveyorrcomposed of open meshed material referably of openwoven cloth such as a rattice cloth across which flat stiffeningconveyorbelt passes over the apparatus in rods are secured .atintervals. j Thisv construction is ver effective in prevent ngstretching or de ormat onpf the conveyor as a whole as the transverserods crossihg it at intervals and preventing transverse shrinkage,longitudinal stretching. is also prevented. A portion of such a form ofbelt is shown in detail in' Figu're 10. The

the direction shown, by the arrows and enters the said apparatus aroundthe roller 2. 3 1s a similar conveyorbelt, passing below the apparatusand entering it around the roller 4%. The two endless belts thusconverge and enter the apparatus together through the nip of'therollers-'2 and 4, traverse the inand lower conveyors and also tensioningrollers 8 adapted to move freely in a vertical slot 9 in the twotensioning frames 10,

the conveyors 1 and .3 thus being kept in continual tension by gravitythe tensioning rollers 8.

11, 11 indicate screws providedwith hand wheels or likemanipulatingarrangements adapted. to move one roller 7 of each of the tensloningframes for adjustment purposes .when necessary. Adjustment bearings ofthis type are Well known and they need not be further described."

v12, indicates a table having fitted thereon v the endless lattice feed13, and provided 'with,"raised,sides' 1 1 (Figure *2) having verticalopen bearings" adapted to receive the ends or necks 15 of lap eachbearinga I lap 16 as it comes-from the scutcher frame.

' In the-figure five laps are shown in position on the table 12, butitis obvious that the table may be adapted to take any conven-v viewpartly inicrosssection on terior of the apparatus together and, diverg-Tacting upon 'ing 27. The pump bein the perfo rations, and is "weenie Tofeed the material of the laps into the dyleing apparatus the end ofeachlap is unrolled and superposed on the material of the la behind it andwhich material is pass- I Q ing be ow it,borne"by the lattice- 13. ig.6, shows. a 'method of guiding the The conveyors 1 and 3 being started,being drawn by the rollers ,2 and 4:, '5 and 6,

17 and 17, which rollers are driven from shaft 18 through bevel gearwheels and pinions 19, 20 and the friction disc 21, the. said conveyorstravel in the directions indicatedbythe arrows and enter the apparatusas before mentioned through the nip-of the rollers 2, .4. The materialof the laps howto the roller nip 2-'-4= and thus enters, e

. ever, superposed as stated, has been brou ht 1 tween the conveyors 1,3 the subsequent traverse of the conveyors through the ap paratusdrawing the material into the "appar'atus between the latter until theydiverge on leaving the interior.

I The apparatus shown in the drawings is adapted for. dyeing withvarious dyestufis' and for convenience and clearness we will describefirstly the dyeing of loose cotton- ,material in the lap form with adirect colour without after-treatment except washing off. Thematerialfihaving entered the apparatus between the conveyors 1,3 is heldbetween said conveyors while it passes around ac linder 22 fittedtransversely in atank A fi led with d e liquor, .prepared in a suitablemanner I (lse'e also Figure 3). The parts of the conveyorsl and 3between which thematerial. isheldfduring its passage through theapparatus: arehereinatter referred to as the container '1 -"3. Thecylinder is perforated, and theflcontainer 1+3 is tightly held againstthe periphery thereof by the ressure' rollers 23. A plate 24 is fittedlongitudinally to'the cylinder 22 over that part which is not covered bythe container'in its transit around the cylinder .22, in such a mannerthat; there will be space for the container to pass between the edges ofsaid plate :andthe two highest pressurerollers. Theiinterior of thecylinder 22 communicates by a pipe 25 with a rotary suction pump 26 ofany suitable type which .is driven by, the strap pulley 'earstarted anthe container passing around the cylinder 22, dye liquor is drawnthrough the material into the interior of "the c linder through pumpthrough pipe '25 to belreturnedby pipe 28 to the dye tank A. Afterpassing around the cylinder 22 the container with .its. containedmaterial passes-as shown to being a pressure pump.- The treatment ofelivered to the I this surplus falling back into tank A. From therollers 17, 17, the container may pass into tank B and between the fiattop of a closed chamber 30 and pressure rollers 31, which although partof the general dyeing apparatus are not operated for the particularclass of dyeing now in question and will be fully referred to anddescribed later. The container then passes through the nip of a furtherpair of rollers 17 and into tank C. The cylinders 22 and 29 arepositively driven by means of a chain drive as shown in the drawings.They are mounted in bear-- ings in the tankA in such a manner that thedye liquor may pass freely to or from their interior. Such bearings arewell known,and any suitable known form may be used.

In the tank C Figures 1, 2 and 5 are fitted two closed chambers 32, 33each of which is provided with a flat top, the latter being perforated,and guide rollers 34 so arranged that the container passing therearoundmust pass horizontally in its traverse of the chamber, over theaforesaid flat tops and in tight contact therewith. Guide plates 36 Iare provided as shown in Figure 1 between the guide rollers. This tankin the operation under discussion is the washing off tank and is filledwith the water, which may be acidulated in any usual manner. Theoperation of washing ofi will be more clearlyunderstood by a referenceto Figure 5v in conjunction with the main Figure 1. 1n the figure 35 isa rotary pump which through pipe 37 draws. the wash water from the tankC through the container and material passing over the fiat perforatedtop of chamber 33 and the pump then delivers the said wash water throughpipe 38 to the interior of chamber 32 and forces it via the perforationsthrough that part of the container and material passing along the top ofchamber 32. The wash water is thus passed twicethrough all parts of thedyed material once by suction and once b pressure. Instead of thearrangement 0 pump shown in Figure 5, we may employ that shown in Figure8; In this latter figure similar letters of reference indicate. similarparts as those in Figure 5, with the addition of the drawing ofi pipe 35and three way valve 35.. In this modification the wash water proceedsfromthe pump 35 into chamto the drain.

ber 33 in the direction of the arrow the valve 35 being open to the pumpand chamber and'closedto the drain, and the course of circulation isfrom the chamber 32 to pump 35, from pump to interior of chamber 33,thence through the material to tank C.

Thus the material has the wash water successively drawn through it andpressed through it. When desired the valve 35 may be operated to opencommunication between the pump and drain and water will therefore bedrawn through the material passing over chamber 32 into the pump andthence 35 is a pipe allowing communication between chamber 32 and an airpump which air pump may be installed for exhausting the chamber 32 ofair if necessary in any operation. The container then proceeds aroundthe guide rollers 39 to the rollers 5 and 6 which squeeze the surpluswash water therefrom, this water falling back into tank 0. To guardagainst any being now completed the conveyors 1 and 3 diverge andpassback to'the feeding point of the apparatus over their respective guiderollers as .shown in Figures 1 and 2, the material being removed fromthem at their point of divergence by rotary'brushes a0 driven in anyconvenient manner and preferably composed of wooden rollers having stiffleather doctors 40* fitted radially or nearly radially thereto.Thebrushes may however be of any other suitable form; for instance theymay be composed of brushes set radially or otherwise in the woodenrollers. 41 is a conduit into which the material falls as it is brushedfrom the conveyors being drawn thereinto by a fan l2 by which thematerial may be propelled by any suitable conduit to the drying'chamber,the whole process from the feeding of the laps to the apparatus to theremoval of the dyed material to the drying chamber being thuscontinuous.

1n the dyeing of oxidation colours, e. g. indigo blue, where the coloris developed and fixed on the material by exposure to the at mosphere ofthe material after the dyeing operation, the process may be followedexactly as described above in tank A. The tank B however, would befittedup exactly as tank C is shown in the drawings, that is, with chambers'32and 33, guides and guide rollers and the tank would be kept empty ofliquor. After passing the squeezing rollers 17 the container andmaterial would pass around the guide rollers and over the chambers intank B equivalent to chambers 32 and 33 shown in the drawings tank C,but which chambers would be in communication with a rotary air pump. Thesame procedure would be followed as described above in connection withthe washing ofi with the diflerence that the treatment would be withair.The long traverse given to the container by the arrangem'ent of guidepulleys would in this instance be favourable to the oxidizing process,"

as the material,- even when not being treated .by the air pump,isexposed to the air for a considerable period before it enters thewashing ofi' tank C through the rollers. This long traverse it, may benoted is also beneficial in the washing ofi' process in tank C.

For use in dyeing with the azo colors, or other developing.colours or inany other operation where a short period of treatment with liquor isnecessary after that aflorded chamber, and the pro'cessma'y upon them atany time; -We therefore fprovide a friction drive-as'shown'ati21',between the shaft 18 and the bevel pinion '20 see Figby the passage ofthe material around the cylinders 22 and 29, the azoti'z'ing ordeveloping operation may be carried out in tank B. 1 In this tank B asshown in the drawin s, 30 is a closed chamber having a fiat per 0'-rated top 30 and divided by a partition 3.0"-

and'pressure rollers 31 arranged as shown to side of the closed chamber30, and by pipe 46 with the other side. 0pei'ation 'of th'epump 4:3draws dye liquor from the tank B through the material and into o'nesideofthe'close'd chamber 30 via the'per orations in the fiat top 30, thisliquor beingthenforced by the pump into the'othe'r' side of thechamber'and through the materialback-toj'the tank, the

treatment beingthuszanalogous to that re-i ceived by: material passingaroundil'cylinders 22 and 29 when those cylinders are used; Butthechamber30 maybe a single; undivided with the cylinders 22 and29,"theperforated flat top of chamber 3Qbeing substituted for theperforated peripheries cylinders 22 n a r a It is essentialwithconveiylrors 'such as land 3 used in connection with t provision much terefore be made to prevent the possibility of too much tension being put:ures 1 and 2. Anything which may tend-"t throughout the interior'of theta slow, the rollers 5-6', 17-47 and 17 17,therefore, will not tend totear the container, the friction disc 21 allowing the necessary slipand", the drive thus equalized I Guide rails of U-section maybe rovideds to ensure that the container shall follow a straight the same. as

is apparatus-that they should beke t at a constant tension, and

path therethrough, the edges theeontainei, strengthened if necessary,engaging in the guide rails. Or as shown in Flgures 6 and 7 where thecontainer is seen in section passing over the fiat top of casing-30intank B, the

longitudinal ed of. theconveyors l; and 23 maybe provide 'with'ropes'or-cables44,92119 l a pair 'of pullegsaafit fitted, as shoin thatfigurep'anj thereto, the ropes 44: engaging within the grooves of thepulleys In all cases, however more clearl in the 'detaii the guides willbe fitted that atight joint z' i a between the container 1-3 andtheeylinder 22 and29, or the casingBO, or the-casings 33 and 34 Will notbe endangered.-

- Combined vvith the apparatus we may'provide the automaticd e. feedarrangement p shown in Figure 9. n thisfigure 47 is a dye mixing tank,filled with the dye liquor 48 to any. convenient height Buckets, 49,

attached to ,a chain v5O adapted to dip the liquid and: travellingaround chain wheels '51 fittedupon rollers 52 the u per one ofwhich-'isfldriven vfrom the sh'a (Figure 1) of the apparatus at "any'pre-' determined speed,'jcarry the dyeliquor to the to of the tankandon their passage:

aroun the upper; chain wheel 51, empty their contents into 'a'tu'ndi'sh53 and through a pipe 54 to the d e tank which by way of example may bet the main drlve of the apparatus will theree' tank A. stoppageof foreinvolve the stoppage of the dye liquor H feed, fandfurther, the quantityof dye liquor required for any partlcular weight of materialfpassingthrough the apparatus beingdetermined, "very exact calculations as tothe rate of feed of dyeliquor may be ar rived at and the dye feedarrangement set at the necessa speed. Inthe general purpose apparatus sown in the drawings Figures 1 and 2 both tanks A and B maybeproseparately, "or an additional pipe may be led from the pipe 54 (Fi re8) to'the second tank, a three-way va ve controllin supply of dyeliquor-to tanlrA or t1 as re uired.

" alr a y i stated Figure 10 shows" the 115 structure of a portion oione 'of-theconveyors lvided with such' .dyefeed arrangements 11o the.

55 is theopen woven material of-the conveyor, and 56 transversebars-fitted on both sides of. theconveyor and which may be secured tothe material 55- by rivets, 'stitc o'rfother convenient. means. In the:drawing they are secured by m s rive-ts! y .materialma -be used for theconveyor S01:

long as it will, whilst holding securely the of li uor and air"therethroughg,

Alt ough we have shown anfapparatus having three tanks A, B andiQit isobvious that we m'afi modifythe apparatus.

A, or'tank may be omitted altogether or further tanks may be added asrequired.

material to be treated, allow ofthe passage,

cylinders may be fitted. in tank B. Further only one closed casing, ofappropriate dimensions, may be fitted in tank G. Or all rial in theloose state, which consists in passthe tanks may be fitted withperforated cylinders such as 22 and 29, or may be all fitted with closedflat topped perforated chambers asshown at 30 in Figures 1 and 2 of thedrawings divided or single. It will .be obvious that any process maybecarried out by means of apparatus described, with the necessary additionor deletion of tanks. Details of construction may also be varied withinwide limits without departing from the spirit of our invention.

What we claim as our invention and de sire to secure by Letters Patentis surfaces located in the treating tanks, main- I 'taining an air-tightcontact between the material and the entire perforated surfaces therebyto prevent escape of air through any of the perforations without passingthrough the material, and causing a treating fluid to pass through thematerial and through the perforations in the surfaces over which itpasses.

2. The process for treating textile mat ing the material in compact formover perforated surfaces located in the treating tanks, and causing atreating fluid to pass twice through the material.

3. A continuous process for dyeing textile material in the loose state,which consists in feeding the material to an endlessreticulatedconveyor, passing the conveyor with the contained'material overperforated cylinders located in the dye bath, passing the dye liquorthrough the material and through the cylinder perforations, and thenpassing the conveyor and its contained material over perforated surfacesin successive tanks for similar treatment with another I bath and withair.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

J OHN BRANDWOOD. THOMAS BRANDWOO'D. JOSEPH BRANDWQOD.

